Torturing

[trimeulose]

So I realize that DnD doesnt really have a way to torture or assertively question. Nor is there any REAL class based on Intimidate.

Torture (dex):
Torture is a class skill for the core classes rogue, barbarian, wizard, and Fighter. Torturing is a refined "art" that takes much practice and precision of hand and force of will to truly master.

Using this skill takes two minutes to start and succesive checks are made every round after beginning (The Victim must be helpless). Make a torture check (DC= 15 + con modifier + targets HD). Any bonuses against fear or pain that the subject might have are added to the DC. The "artist" may choose to give the victim a choice if successful by 2 or more.

The choices for ending the punishment can be anything, but the punishment must be chosen from the list below. The punishment can be from a lower "catagory" but not a higher one.

check succeeds by 22: victim gets will save DC = check -15 or perform any one action you request.
check succeeds by 20: victim takes 1 permanent damage any
check succeeds by 16: victim takes 1 temporary damage any
check succeeds by 15: victim takes 1 temporary wis, dex, or str damage
check succeeds by 10: victim take 1d6 damage
check succeeds by 7: victim takes 1d4 damage
check succeeds by 4: victim takes 1d6 subdual
check succeeds by 2: victim takes 1d3 subdual
Check succeeds: victim takes one subdual damage

Special: If "artist" has 5 ranks in Knowledge (anatomy), Gather Information, Intimidate, or diplomacy, she gets +2 synergy bonus to Torture for each.

 

[Crothian]

Another reason to take the Endurance feat. THis is pretty good. I think we might get torture as a skill in Book of Vile Darkness, but even then this might be better.

 

[rankarrog]

What about using Intimidate(perhaps with Dex instead of Cha) opposed to the victims Will- or Fortitudesave(whichever is greater)?

Actually hurting the victim may give a bonus to the intimidate check, long term torturing should result in temporary Abilty-damage.

 

[trimeulose]

What about using Intimidate(perhaps with Dex instead of Cha) opposed to the victims Will- or Fortitudesave(whichever is greater)?

Actually hurting the victim may give a bonus to the intimidate check, long term torturing should result in temporary Abilty-damage.

That was what I was thinking about, but as I thought about it Initimidate isn't exactly my Idea of torturing. I see intimidate as more of a threat than anything, and torturing as actual action. In other words intimidate is talking the talk, and torturing is walking the walk.

Another thing I considered was having a damage threshold type of system. Something along the lines of Opponent gets a will save DC= Check + damage.

Then I thought "that won't work because someone with a +5 keen flaming burst greatsword is gonna wind up kill more people torturing them than in actual battle.. hey wait a sec it fits!!!" Of course if you deal less than 50 pts of damage the victim is screwed (if damage is still pretty high). Make the will save (DC=15+damage-50)

That of course would apply to NPC's and use a more "choice intensive feature" like the previous example for PCs as the victim.

Fortitude doesn't seem to apply, because I believe that being able to resist torture would be more of a force of character than Strength of body. IE a healthy person with weak intentions will give in more readily than a sick person with a moral convictions.

I also thought of having the above example and having the Will save use Cha rather than Wis because it is of str of character.

Back to the original point. I think that intimidate, while a good start, is more for the aggressive questioning than the actual torturing. Cops intimidate, the spanish inquisition tortured.

In any case the PHB and DM guide provide little to no help when using the skill intimidat, or what guidelines to use with it. The skill itself seems to be only helpful to Barbarians, and those that need it to fulfill the pre-reqs for a prestige class.

 

[bensei]

I really like the idea of a torture skill, but I would implement it a little differently:

First some general comments:
1. One could introduce an alignment restriction (evil, etc.)
2. others???

Typically torture should apply, if you want some information out of the victim (true information or confession to be 'witch'), or to perform some course of action (but this works only limited and may require constant toturing).
[Weird to write so technically about such a thing...]

The typical game situation is:
1. battle won
2. prisoner won't tell you why they attacked you, etc.
3. try to intimidate -> check succeeded
4. what to do now? -> torturing, but this does not exist...

So normally your goal is to achieve some piece of information, what must/should not happen is that the victim dies, falls unconcious or takes permanent damage.

If for some reason your goal of torturing is to give some permanent ability damage (for normal damage you do not have to torture, resp. no skill required), one could give the option, too.

So what about the following game technique:

1. Declare you want to torture helpless victim
2. Declare what's your goal
(a) Press some piece fo information out of the victim
(b) Provide permanent ability damage
[(c) other possibilities ???]
3. Start torturing
4. Torture check
Difficulty class:
(a) Press out Information: Depends on quality of informaion
DC = 5 not really important information to the victim
DC = 10 information of some importance to the victim
DC = 15 information really important to be withheld by the victim, providing the information may be risky for the victim
DC = 20 information must be withheld

(b) Provide permanent ability damage
DC = 10 for first point (any ability)
and +2 for any following point of ability damage.

For both (a) and (b):
Both the target's fortitude save bonus and its will save bonus apply to the check DC (noone said torturing is easy).

If the check is failed by 5 or more the target takes some points both of leathal and subdual damage:
failed by 5-9: 1d4
failed by 10-14: 1d8
failed by 15-19: 1d12
failed by 20 or more: 1d20
This makes taking 10 or 20 impossible on a toture check.

Synergy boni:

If "artist" has 5 ranks in Knowledge (anatomy), Gather Information, Intimidate, or diplomacy, she gets +2 synergy bonus to Torture for each.

Fine.

 

[LostSoul]

Seems like a decent system, although I'd stick with Intimidate. If your first check fails, you can retry with a bonus to the check if you use physical force.

If you torture somebody for long enough, you could probably break their will totally... mirroring the effects of Charm Person. Interesting...

 

[Grazzt]

I have a prestige class in my campaign that functions as the champion of the torture god (in my world). Requirements include Profession (torturer) and Knowledge (anatomy).

Between Knowledge (anatomy) and Intimidate I believe you can extract any info ya need.

Intimidate to threaten/coerce.

Knowledge (anatomy) to know exactly where and how to hurt someone (if needed).

Profession (torturer) see page 72 for descrip of the Profession skill but basically it lets you know how to use the tools of your trade, how to perform the profession's daily tasks, etc.